Our County Neighbors Have Now Gone National

Recliners? Aunt Bea around? (Thanks for the head up, Chris). Edit: Even better. It makes the Yahoo home page. (Thanks Thomas.)

The Tipping Point

I got this guy's third book for Christmas but I decided I'd read (uh, listen) to his first book before I started it. I love this stuff. It's basically an analysis of how "things" explode into national phenomenons. Described . . . The first example in the book - that of how Hush Puppies went from being a moribund brand, sold only to the un-hip, to a hugely successful national brand, thanks to a handful of downtown New York trendsetters - is a prime example of how such shifts can occur. A [handful of guys who wanted to be hip] started wearing these shoes; others saw them and copied the style, with people even driving to out-of-the-way places to buy up stocks of Hush Puppies. Then a few fashion designers used them on the walkway, and visibility reached the "tipping point". The brand then experienced a renewal that, to this day, astounds even those in the company, who had been ready to throw in the towel. The guys behind Hush Puppies even acknowledged they had nothing to do with the brands resurgence. They didn't advertise. They didn't plan for it. It just, well, happened. But the book basically tries to answer the question: How and why does stuff like that occur? After the first two chapters, I think he has a pretty good handle on it.

Random Saturday

Editor's Note: Uh, no. That's not me.

Ole Miss 47, Texas Tech 34

Well, that didn't go well. But I was distracted all game long because Ole Miss has a player named "Mike Wallace" who saw a lot of action. Every time his name was announced, all I could think about was the old guy from 60 Minutes.

Speaking Of Motorcycle Deaths (Avoided)

I was going to watch this on NYE but forgot about it. I'm normally not a fan of crazy stunts, but this is impressive. That's on the Las Vegas strip. And stick around to watch him come down.

Motorcycle Death Count

It had become pretty quiet but there was a doozy this morning in Bedford. At least the guy in the car was alright. Link.

Random Friday Morning Thoughts

• I'm still not sure why the Cotton Bowl is being played today instead of yesterday.
• I didn't leave the house yesterday. Very odd for me.
• 2008 was the second warmest year since the National Weather Service began keeping records in 1899.
• Those that laugh about global warming will always come out of the woodwork when we have an abnormally cool day.
• Let's put a TV reporter in a crowd of drunks on New Year's Ever. Yeah, that's a good idea. (Wait for the hot blonde to appear about halfway through.)
• I stayed home on New Year's Eve. Enjoyed it more than I thought I would.
• The girl on the left in the pic above looks like a girl I went to high school with.
• When I see things like the Montague Jail scandal (below), it drives me nuts. I have the cell phone number of at least 10 people that know exactly what is going on but there's no way they would tell me.
• The Pour House in downtown Fort Worth is shutting down. I like the Pour House.
• I was there once when a drunk girl ask me to dance (she had to be drunk.) I learned later that she had been doing that all night "because she's trying to make her boyfriend jealous."
• I may grow my goatee back out.
• I got the taco plate at Rosa's Cafe to go the other day and it lasted me dinner then the following lunch and then the following dinner. And to think most people eat that in one meal.
• Number of arrests for DWI that the Fort Worth Police made on New Year's Eve: 10
• Number of calls received by Fort Worth PD for random gunfire on the same night: 257
• What would have been ironic: A drunk driver hit by a stray bullet falling from the sky.
• Bad news for Florida Gator fans: QB Tim Tebow has apparently decided to transfer to Cincinnati. And play right tackle. And convert to Islam. Either that, or the graphics department at Fox is a mess.
• If someone show me a baby picture, I have no idea what to say other than he or she, "is so cute!" I mean, the kid could look like the Elephant Man and I'd still say that.
• Oh, my. I was watching CNN's coverage of Times Square on Wednesday night and was mildly entertained by Kathy Griffin and Anderson Cooper. But I wasn't watching when she said this shocking (and I do mean shocking) thing.
• Linday Lohan is still a Hey, Now. But, as I saw the other day for the first time, she sure was an ugly little kid in The Parent Trap.

All Inmates Transferred To Wise County

This whole story, which broke a couple of weeks ago, is very vague. But the latest development is here.

New "Decatur Beggar" Photoshop

The emailer to me has talent.

Whole New Meaning To "Baby Momma"

Dallas’ Parkland Memorial Hospital didn’t have to wait long to welcome the first baby of 2009 — a baby boy named Justin Daniel Ramirez arrived at 12:16 a.m.

Justin’s mom, a 15-year-old Dallas eighth-grader named Fernanda Rios, couldn’t stop smiling as she cradled her new son in her arms Thursday morning. “I was nervous at first about what my mom would say, but I told her I would try my best and she said okay,” Fernanda said.

Fernanda said she lives with her boyfriend, a 20-year-old construction worker, at her mom’s place, and said she plans to continue schooling as soon as her maternity leave is over. “I told the office that I was pregnant and they are going to home school me for six weeks,” she said. Teachers will come to her home two or three times a week during that period.

More (Edit: The story has been dramatically edited by the Dallas Morning News. But the comments over there, as expected, are running wild.)

Uh, the 20 year old father might want to keep this on the down-low since he committed a second degree felony.

Happy New Year

- From Spaghetti Cat

Random Wednesday Morning Thoughts

• When I was backing out of my garage this morning I heard the loudest and weirdest "beep, beep, beep" sound. I thought either someone was stalking me or my car had magically installed a rear sensor. I got out and looked around, but nothing. It kind of creeped me out.
• If I get to the cleaners really early, I'll find a lady alone inside who keeps the door locked despite the "open" sign. She gets up and opens it when she sees me coming. I think she does it for protection.
• The governor of Illinois is just cocky enough to make me start to like him.
• Heard a guy on WBAP say this morning that "I don't feel like I've eaten a meal unless I'm stuffed." Disgusting.
• For the first time in years, I don't have a New Year's Eve party to go to.
• Actually, I got invited to one, but I think the hostess secretly hates me.
• What a weird incident last night when three guys entered The Gas Pipe in far north Dallas and opened fire, killing one.
• I have never understood The Gas Pipe which basically sells drug paraphernalia.
• And the Fox 4 broadcast of the Gas Pipe shooting had a wide shot showing a "Psychic" store next door. So why didn't the people inside see the shooting coming? (I actually stole that like from Kris on Facebook.)
• Sports Quick Hits: That was a good OSU/Oregon game last night. Charles Barkley got arrested last night for DWI. There are five bowl games today.
• The five bowl games reminds me when I was in Las Vegas with my buddy Kevin on this very day a few years back. I chose one team to bet on and he chose their opponent. We placed our bets with the same ticket lady who remarked, "Why didn't you two just bet each other?" (And thereby eliminate the Vegas commission or "juice".)
• The Mavericks had their biggest comeback ever last night -- eliminating a 29 point deficit. But the head coach didn't get to see it because he was ejected in the first half. I didn't see any of it by choice.
• It's weird how at the stroke of midnight all the newly elected county officials suddenly take office.
• I became DA at midnight in 1993 in Billy Bob's at Northside. I thought that seemed wrong at the time.
• Wade Phillips is on The Ticket right now. He begins every answer with a very weak "well" followed by a two second pause.

The James Wood "Shoe Thrower" Ad

Thanks to RandR and Big Things for finding this.

An Astute Emailer . . .

. . . sends this pic believing he has found the famous Decatur beggar in an Obama picture. (That's as big as the pic will get. Somebody use some Internet magic and find a larger one.) Edit: A tad bigger

"Influx of black renters raises tension in Bay Area"

Maybe it's just me, but I did a double-take at this story on Yahoo. I mean, could you throw a few more stereotypes in the opening paragraph? Politically correct Yahoo ain't!

We Have A Ruling

What a crazy case that broke about a week and a half ago. Story (and the DMN comments are always pretty nutty on stories like this.)

Top Ten Or Something

Next year I'm going to keep track of the good blog stories and create a local "Top Ten" list. I can't remember yesterday, so I have no clue as to the good stuff. But I kinda remember:

• Ralph Hardy
• The Paradise Fire
• Channel 8 Says We Are All Millionaires
• The Wedding of the High Sheriff
• The Blizzard
• A random Random Thoughts Generates 131 comments
• That Crazy Rhome City Council Agenda

I'll try to come up with others. But feel free to jump in.

Note To Self

Make next "stadium trip" to Tampa Bay. There's actually a story about this guy from last weekend but it's not as interesting as that hot chick this photo.

More Hot Women To Local News

A faithful reader emails me to give me the heads up that this gal will soon be doing weather for Fox 4 .............News. Big thumbs up.

Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts

• That's a special reader submitted "Random Thought" girl.
• Wait there's more: The gal on the left has a myspace page where she goes by "Trish the Dish" covering Dallas nightlife and lists her hometown as . . . wait for it . . . "Bridgeport."
• It gets odder: Here she is in a youtube promotional video for a club where Tony Romo makes an appearance. (It's racy enough that it requires a youtube age confirmation.) She's much hotter in the video than she is in the picture.
• I should stop my Random Thoughts right now since everyone has gone away.
• The "reader submitted girl for Random Thoughts" is a great idea.
• Wade Phillips did not hold a team meeting before the team was dismissed yesterday.
• I hate Myspace. I'm beginning to like Facebook.
• It looks like Hamas fires homemade rockets into Israel while Israel hits back with jets with missile technology that could hit a car from miles away.
• I would think that radio advertising is the least effective. Who doesn't switch to another station during a commercial break?
• There's a NyQuil commercial involving guys camping where one of them makes a subtle "hoof and mouth" disease joke. I don't know why I laugh, but I do.
• I wouldn't be in Times Square for NYE for, well, less than a ton of money.
• A movie which is hitting DVD that is getting belatedly good reviews is Ghost Town. But since it stars Ricky Gervais, it should be very funny.
• In case you missed it: Sarah Palin's teenage daughter became a Baby Momma yesterday. It already says "momma" with an irritating accent.
• My New Year's Resolutions from last year are here. I accomplished two of them: I got Hi-Def TV and I've had more fires in my fireplace.
• I watched some of Jon & Kate Plus 8 last night. It's about a couple raising eight young kids (twins + sextuplets.) It was like a couple being sold into slavery where the kids were the plantation owners. No. Way.
• A guy has contacted me yesterday and said the County Treasurer issued me a $1,000 check in 2002 that should have gone to him. He even had a check number. Trust me, I'm scrambling to get to the bottom of this. I still don't believe it.

Edit: OK, everyone start being nice to "Trish". Since we've confirmed she's from Bridgeport, I might put her in the Liberally Lean Hall Of Fame. (As soon as I start the Liberally Lean Hall of Fame.)

Welcome To Crazy Town: Population Two

Story.

And Another . . . Oh, Wait . . . It's Not

Ok, I try to post stories that will give rise to some honest debate whether it be in a Sunday School class or at Big Daddy's (the newest bar in Decatur that the local cops are picking on.) Anyway, I came across this story which I couldn't resist. But, I warn you, I don't think you want to bring the subject matter up when you're discussing with the newest Deacon whether the meek will inherit the earth. (Warning. Adult content <-----which is the quickest way to make people click on a link.) And, another thing, this is definitely not the future Mrs. Green #9.

UPS 2nd Day Deliver = 7 Day Delivery

Well my Christmas package finally arrived. What happened on Wednesday? I just got the lamest explanation from Mr. UPS Guy: "My board went out for about an hour and a half so I had to have a new one delivered and then the businesses were closed after lunch." When notified I was here that afternoon, he said, "Hmmm [looking at pad] that's my signature there. I'm not sure what happened."

Randomly Thinking About The Miami Dolphins

And on an unrelated note, I've been mesmerized by this photo from the Tampa Bay game yesterday.

Random Monday Morning Thoughts

• Cowboys get "knocked out" of the playoffs. Get it?
• I don't know if the Cowboys are a good team that underperformed or a mediocre team that played like a mediocre team.
• I don't think Jerry fires Wade -- He just sounds too adamant about it.
• But Wade calling for a punt yesterday and Romo telling them to get off the filed may have been one of the more bizarre things I've seen.
• The Cowboys have lost the last game of the year for nine years in a row.
• Mark Friedman of The Ticket flew back on the Cowboy's chartered jet yesterday and this morning described the atmosphere like "the last day of school."
• One final Cowboys/NFL thought: The players are paid per game. The median salary for the Cowboys this year is $1.3 million - that's $81,000 a game. Do you know how much a player would have receive as "extra compensation" for next week's wild card game? $18,000.
• Ok, one more: Romo collapsed in the shower after the game.
• The lowest I've seen gas is $1.34.
• I always have a thousand questions whenever I hear the words "Gaza Strip."
• One good thing about not putting up a Christmas tree: I don't have to take it down.
• Does anyone watch the New Year's Eve parade in downtown Dallas?
• Dallas Morning News sports writer Jean-Jacques Taylor, who isn't very imaginative, uses the word "abject" a lot.
• I actually prepared a Spin yesterday but forgot to upload it from home. It'll be up tonight.
• I got a Malcom Gladwell book for Christmas. I can't believe I had not heard of him.
• Funny moment on Dale Hansen's Sports Special last night: He began to roll Cowboy highlights but the script didn't match the video. He stopped the tape and went to commercial.
• OK, one more Cowboy note: Eagles Owner Jeff Lurie Hi-Fives His Wife's Face

Well That Was Embarrassing

What a failed season. That team read their own press clippings from day one. Edit: But buried in that mess, was a crazy Tony Romo scramble, throw back to Jason Whitten, and then a Whitten throw to Terrell Owens. Whitten said on the post game show that it wasn't designed -- he just saw Owens open and threw it. Edit: Last playoff win was on Dec. 28, 1996.

History Time

Stumbled across this guy's Wikipedia page --- Wise County was named in his honor. Fourteen kids?